Class Action/Mass Torts Archives

Clifford Law Offices is handling a number of cases involving the highly controversial Volkswagen and Audi diesel engine scheme for which the car maker's CEO has already apologized. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency learned of the scam where software apparently was created that could fool emissions tests while spewing up to 40 times the legal limit of the pollutant nitrogen oxide into the environment, yet called these vehicles environmental friendly. Up to a half million cars are affected and have been recalled in order to be retrofitted. How many people bought these cars based upon this feature? How many feel that their cars are now worth less because of the debacle? The courts will surely determine that. If you wish to fill out a form to learn more about how this situation unfolds because you or a family member own or lease such a car - a Volkswagen Beetle, Jetta, Golf, Passat or Audi A3 - then please contact our class action law firm: http://cliffordlaw.com/volkswagen-class-action-lawsuit/

Clifford Law Offices, a nationally recognized personal injury and wrongful death law firm and also a leader in various class action cases, is handling cases involving the VW/Audi diesel engine scheme involving nearly a half million vehicles sold since 2008. Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at the firm, recently was appointed co-lead counsel by U.S. District Court Judge James B. Zagel of the Northern District of Illinois "as class counsel for his demonstrated skills in the field." in the class action filed against Pella Windows Corporation, a nationwide window manufacturer and distributor regarding defective windows. Most recently, the lead plaintiff in the NCAA concussion litigation retained Clifford to represent him and to advocate on his behalf for those similarly situated. Clifford has been named as one of the top lawyers in the 2016 Edition of Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. He was named as the top attorney in the Chicago metropolitan area in Plaintiffs' Mass Tort Litigation/Class Action work in 2016. Indeed, Clifford serves as lead counsel in a data breach case filed against Advocate Medical Group, Illinois' largest healthcare system, involving more than four million patients and is reportedly the largest healthcare date breach in the nation's history. Also, individual attorneys at Clifford Law Offices were named among the 2016 Best Lawyers in America include partner Shannon M. McNulty in Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation who heads the firm's class action practice area. Best Lawyers has published its list for more than three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media and the public as one of the most reliable, unbiased sources of legal referrals. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as a definitive guide to legal excellence. "Best Lawyers is the most effective tool in identifying critical legal expertise," said President and Co-Founder Steven Naifeh. 'Inclusion on this list shows that an attorney is respected by his or her peers for professional success." To contact Clifford Law Offices if you own one of the cars affected by the recent diesel-engine scheme exposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), call Clifford Law Offices at 312-899-9090 or 800-899-0410 or email Shannon McNulty at smm@CliffordLaw.com.

Volkswagen's CEO has apologized for cheating on emission standards of various models that it claimed had "clean diesel" engines that delivered better performance and low emissions, when, in fact, the car maker was accused last week of defrauding environmental regulators. Martin Winterkorn issued the statement Sunday (Sept. 20, 2015), adding that VW is cooperating with authorities and has commissioned an external probe, according to The Wall Street Journal. The German car maker also reportedly has halted all American sales of the popular diesel-powered cars. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is probing the matter after reportedly was tipped off by testing done by the California Air Resources Board The EPA investigation affects cars sold since 20008 and include the Volkswagen's Passat, Jetta, Golf, Beetle and the Audi's A3 luxury compact car. About 482,000 diesel-powered cars are reportedly affected. The EPA has ordered the company to recall the affected cars. The car maker may face billions of dollars in fines for its reported deliberate conduct in hoodwinking car buyers into thinking that the car was producing cleaner emissions. In reality, the car had software that was made to appear that the engines had lower emission levels than they actually did; the feature was only turned on during vehicle omissions tests. Winterkorn told the press Sunday that he will do "everything necessary" to regain the public trust in the company. Clifford Law Offices is accepting cases regarding this matter. Please go to the home page of www.CliffordLaw.com and click on Class Action. There you will be able to fill out a form that asks for details regarding your Volkswagen or Audi vehicle. You will be contacted if you qualify to potentially become a member of the class action lawsuit. Clifford Law Offices is handling several class action lawsuits including taking the lead on the defective Pella window class action cases. For further information, contact Clifford Law Offices at 312-899-9090 or email smm@CliffordLaw.com or VWLawsuit@CliffordLaw.com

By Robert A. Clifford, Senior Partner and Lead Counsel in Pella Window Class Action, and Shannon McNulty, Partner, Clifford Law Offices If you have Pella ProLine Casement windows, you may be a member of a class action underway in the Northern District of Illinois. For more information, go to www.CliffordLaw.com/ class actions. Q: I have Pella ProLine casement windows, but they are not showing any signs of defect rot. Am I still a class member? What should I do? A: You may still be a class member with a viable claim against Pella because the complaint alleges that the defect is concealed and may not reveal itself until after your warranty expires. You should complete a Pella Class Action inquiry form at www.CliffordLaw.com, and make certain to maintain all documentation related to our windows, including the windows serial numbers. You can find the document by clicking on the yellow button on the home page that says "Class Actions" and it will lead you to the appropriate page.

In the aftermath of the record setting number of recalls of General Motors, consumers must be skeptical whenever purchasing a used car, according to CBS News. The National Traffic Safety Administration estimated that one in every four recalled cars are never properly repaired, posing a serious danger to those who purchase used cars with defective parts, CBS News reported. In 2013 alone, 3.5 million used cars needing recall repairs were put up for sale on websites such as Craigslist, according to Time Money. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration created a tool that allows consumers to place the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of a prospective used car into their database, which in turn will notify a customer if that specific vehicle has been subject to a recall within the last 15 years, but the work was never completed, according to CBS News. This is an especially useful mechanism because used car dealers in most jurisdictions have no legal duty to warn a customer about recall work that has not been completed, CBS News reported.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that GM's vehicle identification number system which allows owners to look up whether their vehicle has been effected by the millions of recalls issued this year is not listing all cars that are in need of repairs, according to The Detroit News ("Government says GM site faulty, doesn't correctly list recalled vehicles"; 8/1/2014). Owners are able to enter their personal vehicle identification numbers with the site then telling them whether their vehicle has been affected by the recall, but many were improperly told no, according to Bloomberg News ("GM Website Misleading Consumers on Recalls, US Says"; 8/1/2014). Both GM and the National Traffic Safety Administration have been warning vehicle owners of this discrepancy, and GM has been asked to fix the problem immediately, The Detroit News reported. This is among a string of recent problems for the nation's largest automaker, which has had to recall nearly 29 million vehicles this year alone, a record for recalls in a single year, according to Bloomberg News. The company has been under intense scrutiny ever since investigations revealed that GM was delayed in recalling more than 2.5 million cars with faulty ignition switches linked to at least 13 deaths, Bloomberg News reported.

The use of the Internet or this form for communication with the firm or any individual member of the firm does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Confidential or time-sensitive information should not be sent through this form.